Posted on 09/14/2002 1:05:07 AM PDT by TCSparkman
Rob Morse and Observing 9-11
By Cinnamon Stillwell Friday, September 13, 2002
Rob Morse's ill-conceived column, Top 10 better things to do today," 9/11/02, was in very bad taste, to say the least. Morse suggested that rather than watching the television coverage on 9/11 or attending commemorations, people should instead indulge themselves. As the rest of the nation mourned, Morse instructed his readers to Make love, Go to the movies, Trade in your SUV, or if all else fails, Have a drink. Apparently, he (and countless others, according to the letters page) expected our television media to commemorate that tragic day with gratuitous replays of the planes hitting the twin towers or with sugar-coated sentimentality. In fact, they did neither.
As a whole, the country responded to the first-year commemoration of 9/11 with grace and dignity . For the most part, television coverage followed suit. In contrast to "the tearjerker music and videos of flame and dust" that Morse predicted, television media observed 9/11 with respect.
The memorials at the three sites were subdued and tasteful. Even the TV commercials paid homage to the somber subject of the day. I was especially impressed with the conduct of George and Laura Bush, who demonstrated grace under pressure at one memorial after another. They showed genuine support and provided real solace to the relatives and loved ones of the many dead.
Like Morse, many Chronicle readers seemed to feel that their day would be better spent trying to ignore the occasion, than to observe it. I suppose it was too much to ask of them, that they take a moment out of their busy schedules to reflect on the over 3000 Americans who died that day.
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Posted by: Cinnamon Stillwell
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